CUPERTINO, Calif. — Apple today announced a set of major new projects as part of its $100-million racial equity and justice initiative (REJI) designed to help dismantle systemic barriers to opportunity and combat injustices faced by communities of colour.
The new projects include: the Propel Center, a global innovation and learning hub for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), which will provide curriculum, internships and mentorship opportunities; an Apple Developer Academy to support coding and tech education for students in Detroit; and venture capital funding for Black and Brown entrepreneurs.
“We are all accountable to the urgent work of building a more just, more equitable world — and these new projects send a clear signal of Apple’s enduring commitment,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, in a press release. “We’re launching REJI’s latest initiatives with partners across a broad range of industries and backgrounds — from students to teachers, developers to entrepreneurs, and community organizers to justice advocates — working together to empower communities that have borne the brunt of racism and discrimination for far too long. We are honoured to help bring this vision to bear, and to match our words and actions to the values of equity and inclusion we have always prized at Apple.”
Apple’s US$25 million contribution will enable the Propel Center to support HBCU students and faculty through a virtual platform, a physical campus in the historic Atlanta University Center, as well as on-campus activations at partner institutions, says the press release.
(Pictured is Clark Atlanta University professor MaKisha Funderburke who will collaborate with Apple to create the curriculum framework for the Propel Arts program, one of the many educational tracks that will be available to HBCU students and faculty through the Propel Center.)
Later this year, Apple will open the Apple Developer Academy in Detroit, in collaboration with Michigan State University. The academy is designed to empower young Black entrepreneurs, creators and coders, helping them cultivate the skills necessary for jobs in the rapidly growing iOS app economy, says the press release. Two programs will be offered in Detroit: a 30-day introductory program designed for learners who are considering app economy careers and looking to better understand what it means to be a developer; and an intensive 10- to 12-month program which will help aspiring developers build their iOS app skills.
Apple’s new venture capital funding includes: a $10-million investment with Harlem Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm based in New York, to support its investments in 1,000 companies with diverse founders over the next 20 years; and a $25-million investment in Siebert Williams Shank’s Clear Vision Impact Fund, which provides capital to small and medium-sized businesses, with an emphasis on minority-owned companies.
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